BALLARAT Regional Multicultural Council has received State funding to ensure new and emerging communities and seniors are kept safe, healthy and informed.<\/p>\n
With Priority Response to Multicultural Communities funding, executive officer Ann Foley said BRMC\u2019s bi-cultural social support teams can provide care and information throughout the COVID-19 response.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe care part of the package involves ensuring people who\u2019ve become isolated, or who\u2019ve lost jobs, or are supporting large households, are not short of food and other household needs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve identified families and individuals, and have supported them with those impacts of COVID, really for almost a year now, and more recently we\u2019re providing that care to seniors who are vulnerable because they\u2019re especially isolated.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about making sure they\u2019re receiving the information they need to access vaccinations, support and information about vaccinations, and that information regarding the pandemic, changes to the roadmap, restrictions, testing and isolation, is in the languages and formats they can understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Identifying households in need of support, whether they\u2019re experiencing economic hardship, or are needing to isolate for weeks, BRMC\u2019s staff then make COVID-safe home visits.<\/p>\n
They drop off supplies, make phone calls, and keep in regular contact to ensure they\u2019re fully aware of their communities\u2019 wellbeing.<\/p>\n
Within the last month, 25 cooked meals, 160 food kits and 160 winter care packs have been dropped off. One hundred and sixty welfare checks and calls have been made.<\/p>\n
Forty-one food kits, and 128 emergency non-food packages have helped 59 families in new and emerging communities.<\/p>\n
Ms Foley said this has been \u201cvery much appreciated,\u201d and those receiving support have been letting staff know when they\u2019re on their feet, so BRMC can aid other households in need, as hardship lands with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeniors are loving the contact, but really looking forward to coming back together for social gatherings.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the new and emerging communities, they appreciate receiving foods that are culturally appropriate, and knowing that they\u2019re part of a community and are included in the care,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a team of people from diverse backgrounds who understand what food\u2019s useful and appropriate, and what\u2019s not, so we deliver food knowing that it will be used, enjoyed and not be wasted.\u201d<\/p>\n
BRMC is collaborating with the Grampians Public Health Unit, supported by the Victorian Multicultural Commission and Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, to work with multicultural community leaders on their strategies for pandemic preparedness.<\/p>\n
They are also hosting pop-up vaccination hubs at their Ballarat Welcome Centre in partnership with Ballarat Community Health. So far, 582 vaccinations have been delivered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BALLARAT Regional Multicultural Council has received State funding to ensure new and emerging communities and seniors are kept safe, healthy and informed. With Priority Response to Multicultural Communities funding, executive officer Ann Foley said BRMC\u2019s bi-cultural social support teams can provide care and information throughout the COVID-19 response. \u201cThe care part of the package involves […]<\/p>\n